Kempo, I like those training methods, but I wonder as to the purpose of having the eyes closed until the attack begins... my biggest weapon on teh st33t is that I keep my eyes and ears open. Is it to increase reaction time, or...?

7/03/2006 12:31pm,

selfcritical

So the good and the bad for Krav....keep in mind this is from the Level one curriculum, and the level 2 material shifts radically

Primes basic kickboxing skills fairly quickly, and drills them into people who wouldn't normally be willing to put forth the effort to learn them. The striking is solid, and covers all the normal strikes that you'd want to teach in SD (except for slaps, but people will disagree on that). Pad work is incorparated from day one, so power recieves a fairly good emphasis. The basic strategy seems fairly sound(block and crash to clinch, plum and deliver knees till tender).

The bad-

pretty much all the self-defense drilling. Way too much time is spend on choke variations, and while the defenses work, they aren't taught in a way that links to general competency in the clinch range. The knife defenses are nonsense and will get you killed pretty much on the spot .

While the immediate strategy is to close to clinch, very little time is spent learning to maintain the clinch against resistance, executing takedowns from clinch, or stopping counters

7/03/2006 12:31pm,

selfcritical

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wynergy

Kempo, I like those training methods, but I wonder as to the purpose of having the eyes closed until the attack begins... my biggest weapon on teh st33t is that I keep my eyes and ears open. Is it to increase reaction time, or...?

The idea being that you'll have to look around and spot the danger.

7/03/2006 2:07pm,

Wynergy

Oh, right. I had the image of them responding only when they were actually touched. Thank you!

7/03/2006 2:40pm,

Omega Supreme

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThaiBoxerShorts

It's for soccer moms with too much money and an unhealthy dose of paranoia.

There are a few good instructors out there with KM instructorships (who invariably have backgrounds in other styles), but for the most part, it sucks. There's just not much quality control within the organization.

Also, pretty much anything that bills itself is "self defense" is crap. Real self defense is all about avoidance, evasion, and escape. Period. "Self defense" that involves using violence against an attacker is not "self defense" at all. It's streetfighting. And it's about the stupidest thing a human being can do.

If you want to fight, then join a fighter gym and do it in the ring. Anything else is suicidal stupidity.

See I don't see it this way. There's some good Krav Maga out there and truthfully speaking a 'fighter's menality' get you in trouble on 'th3 str33t'. Krav Maga does sparring, deals with all types of ranges, unfortunately a lot of it went the way of Mcdojo and is crap in more general areas.

7/03/2006 7:43pm,

Ke?poFist

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wynergy

Kempo, I like those training methods, but I wonder as to the purpose of having the eyes closed until the attack begins... my biggest weapon on teh st33t is that I keep my eyes and ears open. Is it to increase reaction time, or...?

Well, I do it two ways honestly. One way I didn't mention because I usually do it as a pre-requisite to the one I did mention and it resembles LARPing a bit too much IMO. Basically the unmentioned consists of the class lining up in two rows that one student must walk in between. From there a random person will throw either a random attack or a pre-planned one that I tell them. Unfortunately I find having a student walk down the room looking at each person fully expecting an attack not too productive towards preparing for unexpected assaults. By closing their eyes they lose that advantage are are susceptable to an array of blind-sided assaults.

I also didn't mention I make it a point for the attacker NOT to attack from the front, as that is seldom the case in muggings and also isn't exactly fair capitalizing on the imposed handicap I gave by having them shut their eyes.

PS: On a side note I have considered dressing up as a ninja and jumping my students outside of their houses in the early morning to see how well they've been training :ninjafigh

7/03/2006 10:57pm,

schadenfreude

Quote:

Originally Posted by selfcritical

So the good and the bad for Krav....keep in mind this is from the Level one curriculum, and the level 2 material shifts radically

Primes basic kickboxing skills fairly quickly, and drills them into people who wouldn't normally be willing to put forth the effort to learn them. The striking is solid, and covers all the normal strikes that you'd want to teach in SD (except for slaps, but people will disagree on that). Pad work is incorparated from day one, so power recieves a fairly good emphasis. The basic strategy seems fairly sound(block and crash to clinch, plum and deliver knees till tender).

The bad-

pretty much all the self-defense drilling. Way too much time is spend on choke variations, and while the defenses work, they aren't taught in a way that links to general competency in the clinch range. The knife defenses are nonsense and will get you killed pretty much on the spot .

While the immediate strategy is to close to clinch, very little time is spent learning to maintain the clinch against resistance, executing takedowns from clinch, or stopping counters

Agree. Also, in my school, there is simply not enough heavy contact sparring. Someone can hit a pad all day, but that doesn't mean they'll land a punch on someone who is trying not to be punched.